Us girls are fairly precious about our hair, that’s for sure. We dye it, straighten it, treat it with oils, condition it, extend it and get it professionally styled, so when we feel that our hair is getting thinner or we’re losing some of it, we freak out. For us, hair has a psychological significance. It is part of our identity, and makes us who we are, which is why it’s so scary when it starts to go! Here’s how to restore your damaged hair just in case you’re struggling.
We got some advice from leading trichologist Iain Sallis on female hair loss and how your topknot could contribute to it! EEK!
1. Know your hair
You know what’s normal for your hair, but if you start becoming aware of it you may think you’re losing more than usual. On average we lose 100-150 hairs per day, but it’s not all bad news. The hair on your brush died 3 months ago, so you won’t go bald overnight. If you put your hair into a ponytail and you feel it’s thinner than usual, you’re probably right and might need to see a trichologist – Iain says that generally women know their hair better than men!
2. It’s not all down to genetics
There are plenty of reasons your hair might be thinning, including diet (low levels of zinc, minerals, vitamins and proteins), genetics, certain medication, thyroid problems, diabetes, anaemia and stress from severe trauma (like bereavement or an accident). Read our guide to eating more and losing weight if you’re worried about your diet. Iain also noted that women lose hair in a different way to men simply because our hair follicles are different, but we won’t get too technical here.
3. Pretty hair has risks
According to Iain he’s seen a number of ballerinas that are balding on top from having their hair in topknots and tight buns for a long time, because it puts stress on the hair and damages a localized area. Anything that isn’t ‘natural’ for your hair comes with a certain risk but whether we will lose our hair is more random. Make sure you get the right supplements by reading this guide.
So how do you reduce the chances of losing your beautiful hair?
You should try to minimize the amount of damage you do to your hair, natural is beautiful too, so give your hair a rest from for a couple of years and treat it to a nourishing oil treatment like Shiffa Invigorating Hair Oil, if you’re already worrying about your hair losing thickness try Phyto Phytologist 15 Anti-Hair Loss Bundle which contains ingredients such as cocoa to fight micro irritants and Indian Gentian to stimulate new growth amongst other fab things.
If you really must have a topknot, try to use gentler hair bands like Invisibobbles, be gentle with your hair brushing, make sure you have enough vitamins and minerals, and if you’re ever worried about your hair thinning talk to a GP or trichologist!
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Photography by Camille Valbusa for Career Girl Daily